Mutual Friend
by JoeMerl
Summary: Cody is friends with Gwen, and Cody is friends with Trent. Which, of course, puts him in an awkward position when the couple are having issues. Cody-centric non-angsty Gwen/Trent, with humor and a bit of a mystery.


**Author's Notes: **In honor of my birthday today, I decided to dig out some stories I wrote a long time ago and just never posted until now. And by "a long time ago," I mean _waaaaay_ back before Trent went crazy and he and Gwen were still together, so...yeah. This is post-series, assume they just got back together or TDA never happened or something, I don't know. This whole story might be too disjointed to make any sense anyway, so who cares? Hope you enjoy, though!

* * *

I was just hanging a picture on the wall of my new apartment when the phone rang.

_Ring-riiing...ring-riiing...ring-CLICK._

"Hello, you've reached Cody Walker's new _love_-nest. This is Cody."

"...Yeah, okay, don't answer the phone like that, Cody."

I felt my ears burn slightly. "Oh, hey, Gwen." I cradled the phone on my shoulder so that I could go back to unpacking. "How are ya?"

"Fine."

I frowned, taking the phone back in hand. "You don't sound fine. Is everything okay?"

"_Yes!_ ...Okay, no. That's actually why I'm calling. I need to ask for your advice about something."

"Okay, shoot."

"Okay. Well, it's kind of about Trent..."

* * *

About five minutes after Gwen had hung up, the phone rang again.

"Hello, you've reached Cody Walker's swinging new bachelor pad. This is Cody."

"...O-kay, dude, don't answer the phone like that."

"Oh, hey, Trent. Yeah I'm...not getting good reviews on those," I muttered, feeling my ears redden. Again. "Oh, and I got your housewarming present, by the way. Tha---"

"Yeah, your welcome. Look, uh, I need to ask your advice about something."

"Okay, shoot."

"Okay. Well, it's kind of about Gwen..."

* * *

"And yeah, I know it's a little weird, I don't mean to put you on the spot or anything, but you know...I kind of need someone who knows him well, and you're really the only friend of his that I'm really comfortable talking about this with. I hope you don't mind."

"No problem, Gwen. So, what's the problem?"

* * *

"So, yeah, I know it's a little weird, and I don't mean to put you on the spot or anything, but you know...I kind of need someone who knows her well, and you're really the only friend of hers that I'm really comfortable talking about this with. I hope you don't mind."

"No problem, man. So, what's the problem?"

* * *

"...So, I don't know. He's just been acting...really weird, lately. I don't know why." She paused. "Are you _sure_ he hasn't mentioned anything about this?"

"Come on, Gwen. I'm your friend," I said, stirring the pot of boiling noodles for dinner. "If I knew something, would I keep it from you?"

* * *

"So, I don't know. I think she might be getting suspicious." He paused. "You're _sure_ you didn't tell her anything?"

"Come on, man. I'm your friend," I said, depositing the empty bowl of pasta into the sink. "Do you really think I would tattle on you?"

* * *

"You know, I'm sorry to keep bothering you with all this," Gwen sighed, as I balanced the phone on my shoulder, eyes focused on the computer so it would at least _look_ like I was working. "I know it must be annoying, having me call you with all my problems and everything."

"Don't sweat it, it's cool."

* * *

"You know, I'm sorry to keep bothering you with all this," Trent sighed, as my boss glanced over at me from across the office, glaring suspiciously. "I know this must be annoying, having me call you with all my problems and everything."

"Don't sweat it, it's cool," I said, looking over my shoulder to shoot my boss a small smile that only made her eyes narrow in further suspicion.

* * *

"I mean, I don't want to put you on the spot or anything," Gwen said, as I used my spare hand to dig through the pile of books on my desk, looking for the one I needed for my paper. "I know Trent is your friend too, and I don't want you to get all tangled up in our relationship problems."

"No, really, it's fine," I said, as I finally spotted the right book and began to flip through.

* * *

"I mean, I don't want to put you on the spot or anything," Trent said, as I leaned back in my chair, stairing at the ceiling. "I know Gwen is your friend too, and I don't want you to get all tangled up in our relationship problems."

"No, really, it's fine," I said, staring down at the blank computer screen in front of me and wondering when I would have time to get my homework done.

* * *

"I know I'm being paranoid. But I'm just sure he's up to something." She paused; I could almost hear her biting her lip. "Do you think I'm overreacting?"

"I think you should stop worrying. Everything's going to be fine. Anyway, sorry to cut this short, but I got to go. I'm a professor's assistant and I've got to go teach a class."

"Okay, thanks."

* * *

"I know I'm being paranoid. But I'm just sure she suspects what's going on." He paused; I could almost hear the sound of him grinding his teeth nervously. "Do you think I'm overreacting."

"I think you should stop worrying. She doesn't suspect a thing. Anyway, I got to go," I said, glancing up from my cell phone at the students muttering to themselves and wondering what Professor Hart was going to think when he heard about this.

* * *

"Well, you know, I can only help you so much from here," I said. Even I could hear the slight strain in my voice. "I mean, I don't exactly see Trent that often...try talking to some of his friends over there."

"Yeah, maybe," she said vaguely. "Thanks, Cody."

* * *

"Well, you know, I can only help you so much from here," I repeated, my voice even more strained. "I mean, this isn't exactly the kind of problem I know about...try finding somebody more in-the-know."

"Yeah, maybe," he said vaguely. "Thanks, man."

* * *

The phone rang. I sighed and picked it up, expecting Gwen. Instead, Trent's voice screamed in my ear.

"MARILYN SAW US!"

I drew the phone away, wincing. Putting it back to my ear, I asked, "Who?"

"Gwen's friend Marilyn! She saw me and Cynthia!"

"Cynthia? You mean---"

"YES! Oh, man. She's gonna tell Gwen, and then---then the whole thing---"

"Don't worry," I said, raising my hand calmly even though I knew he couldn't see it. "You just tell her that it was---some old friend or something. If there's any other problem, I'll handle it."

* * *

"So Marilyn saw him having lunch with some strange woman, and now I don't know what to think!"

"Well, you know, Trent has lunch with a lot of different people, right?" I said, trying to sound as calm as possible even as I pulled nervously at my shirt collar. "It was probably just his agent or his band manager or---"

"No, no, they're both guys!" she interrupted, real panic in her voice. "And Marilyn said that when _he_ saw _her,_ he started asking really nervous and everything. Oh, man, I hope it's not---"

"It's not," I said firmly, trying to ignore the panic in the back of my mind. "You're overreacting. Why don't you just---talk to Trent about it, and see---"

"I already did. He said it was just some old friend or something, but I don't know..." She paused. "But I'm gonna find out."

"What do you mean?" I asked quickly.

"I mean, tomorrow I'm going to take off from work and follow him when he leaves for lunch. See what he's up to..."

"NO! I mean, uh, no, don't do that!" I hoped she couldn't tell how panicked I sounded. "I mean, uh---shouldn't you trust him? He's your boyfriend, after all---love's all about trust, you know, that sort of thing?"

"I know," she said, sounding strained with indecision. "But I have to find out what's going on. Don't tell him, okay?"

I bit my lip. "Okay. But---"

Too late; she had already hung up.

I paused for a moment, mind working frantically. Then, I quickly dialed a new number.

_Riiing...riiing-CLICK._

"Hello, this is the McGrady-slash-Greene residence. Harold speaking."

"Hey, Harold. It's me, Cody," I said, dropping my voice conspiratorially. "I can't tell you why, but I need you and Leshawna's help with something..."

* * *

"So then, Leshawna and Harold showed up just when I was about to leave, and they _insisted_ on taking me out to lunch no matter _how _much I tried to get out of it. So, I have no idea _where_ he went."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said, sounding completely sympathetic even as I was doing a ridiculous little dance around my kitchen.

"Yeah. Anyway, I gotta go."

The phone clicked in my ear. I hung up and continued to do my little victory dance until my roommate walk in, staring.

"...Cody, what are you doing?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Celebrating my role as Cupid," I said simply. He rolled my eyes and walked away.

* * *

The next call came from Trent.

"So, everything worked out, my man?" I asked, hoping for a calm, rational response.

I didn't get one.

"No, I'm _totally_ confused! I have no idea which one to pick!"

I groaned. "Oh, come _on_, man. I thought you decided---"

"I did, but now there's another one! And this one is _really_ good..."

"But what you have _now_ is really good! Great, in fact!" I snapped, pacing angrily around the room. "I mean, man, you can't keep doing this! Gwen is already freaking out, it's not fair to her---just _decide_ and then put an end to this, one way or another!"

"But...I can't, man! I need your help!"

I facepalmed, sighing loudly. "Fine," I said. "Just...send me a picture."

* * *

_Ring-riiing....ring-riiing...ring-CLICK._

I answered the phone, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "Hello, this is Cody."

"Oh my gosh! Cody! You won't believe it!" Gwen said breathlessly. "You know that weird woman my friend Marilyn saw Trent with the other day? It turns out that woman was a _wedding planner!_ He just _proposed!_"

"Really? Wow," I said, using my free hand to erase a picture of an engagement ring from my cell phone. "I never would have seen that coming..."

* * *

**A/N:** I don't know if that was at all good or subtle or comprehensible. Please tell me via reviews! :-)


End file.
